莲莲，知为谁生

我打江南走过，你绽放的容颜如莲花的开落。

I beat Jiangnan to walk by, your blooming face is like the opening and falling of lotus.

——题记

-- inscription

青柳垂溪，高蝉嘶鸣，盛夏的苏州少了几分吴侬软语的温婉。便是这样一个午后，我坐在院角的树阴里，静静窥视对面窗内的女子。

Green willow and weeping stream, high cicadas are neighing, and Suzhou in midsummer is a little less gentle in Wunong's soft words. It was such an afternoon that I sat in the shade of the tree in the corner of the courtyard and peeped at the woman in the opposite window.

这是苏州巷子里常见的院落儿，一席天井，几户人家，三五大树，安谧祥和。起先，是那院里的两缸莲叶吸引了我，尔后，是那静静凝视莲叶的女子吸引了我。

This is a common courtyard in Suzhou alley. It has a patio, several families, three or five big trees and is peaceful. At first, I was attracted by the two jars of lotus leaves in the courtyard, and then by the woman who gazed at the lotus leaves quietly.

隐在窗后的她仿佛入定的老僧，久久不曾挪动，阳光勾勒出她纤薄的肩膀，也影蔽了她的脸，我只能从她微倾的身姿判定，她守望的是窗下的莲。

Hidden behind the window, she seems to be an old monk who has never moved for a long time. The sunshine outlines her thin shoulders and covers her face. I can only judge from her slightly leaning posture. What she watches is the lotus under the window.

算是我与她的初次邂逅吧，留下的，是她淡淡的侧影。

It's my first encounter with her. What I left behind is her subtle silhouette.

某个清晨，我见到了她。

One morning, I saw her.

粉衣白裙，亭亭玉立，宛如一支出水的莲花，略显苍白的脸，淡淡的眉，淡淡的笑，她出神地看着那一水莲叶。

Pink dress, white skirt, slim, just like a lotus out of the water, pale face, light eyebrows, light smile, she looked at the water lotus leaves.

你好，我轻轻地说。她茫然地转回身，小心翼翼地摸索。我看到了她那精致的脸，也看到那双眼睛，漆黑如子夜，却无半点星华，忽然之间，我明白了什么。

Hello, I said softly. She turned around in a daze and fumbled carefully. I saw her delicate face and her eyes. They were as dark as midnight, but there was no star. Suddenly, I understood something.

沉默，然后，她歉然一笑，对不起，我的眼睛不方便。

Silence, then, she smiled apologetically, sorry, my eyes are not convenient.

于是，我认识了这个叫阿莲的女子。

So I met this woman named a Lian.

她喜欢坐在窗下，微微倾身，靠近那两缸莲。偶尔，也会小心翼翼地深出手，慢慢抚上莲叶，惊喜地告诉我，你看，它们要开花了！

She likes to sit under the window, leaning slightly, close to the two jars of lotus. Occasionally, I will carefully and deeply touch the lotus leaves and tell me in surprise that they are going to bloom!

是啊，莲花要开了。等了一个星期，莲花终于要开了。

Yes, the lotus is about to open. After waiting for a week, the lotus is finally going to open.

那一天，我们很早就起床了。湿润的空气里渗着淡淡清香，丝丝缕缕，沁人心脾。一抹翠绿中，充溢出星星点点的白，娇嫩柔润有如婴儿，但那层层花瓣之间几丝细蕊，却又妩媚清丽，轻柔似梦。

On that day, we got up early. The moist air is permeated with a light fragrance, which is refreshing. A touch of green, full of little white, delicate and soft as a baby, but the layers of petals between a few thin core, but also charming and beautiful, soft like a dream.

很美，对不对？阿莲轻问，唇畔噙着一抹满足的笑容，仿佛也亲眼见到了这水中白莲的盛放……

It's beautiful, isn't it? A Lian asked gently, with a satisfied smile on her lips, as if she had seen the blooming of white lotus in the water

暑期将近，我与阿莲的故事也戛然而止了。

As the summer vacation approached, the story of a Lian and I ended abruptly.

火车隆隆驶过，窗外景色流动。想起阿莲，我的心软软地疼。老天开了怎样的玩笑？给过她完好的眼睛，却又收回，从光明到黑暗，真的只是一步之遥。而那位淡如莲的女子，又何其淡然，她微笑着给我背：假如生活欺骗了，不要悲伤，不要失望……

The train rumbled by and the view outside the window flowed. Thinking of a Lian, my heart aches softly. What kind of joke did God make? Give her good eyes, but take them back, from the light to the dark, it's really just a step away. And that pale woman, how indifferent, she smiled back to me: if life deceived, don't be sad, don't be disappointed

假如生活欺骗了我，我要忘记命运的谎言。想起了那个以4/4拍铡草的老人，想起了那个香消玉殒的女钢琴家。生活给过我们痛苦，但痛确是自己愿意。珍惜不是对美好的回忆，而是选择用美好的回忆来对抗命运的不公，即使在淤泥中，也要开出纯白的花来。

If life deceives me, I will forget the lies of fate. I think of the old man who cut grass by 4 / 4 and the pianist who died. Life gives us pain, but pain is what we want. Treasure is not a good memory, but a choice to use good memories to fight against the unfairness of fate, even in the mud, but also out of pure white flowers.

莲莲，知为谁生？我看到她，笑靥如花。

Lotus, who lives for? I saw her with a smile.